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Oscar hopes for “Bridegroom” end

I’m sad that my favorite documentary this year – and one of my favorite films overall – will not be nominated for an Oscar.

That film is Bridegroom.

I’ve written a lot about it since the summer and interviewed its subject, Shane Bitney Crone, a few times.

The film has won numerous audience awards at film festivals and received high-profile endorsements from the likes of former President Bill Clinton and Oprah Winfrey.

It tells the story of Shane’s relationship with his late partner, Tom Bridegroom who was killed in an accidental fall from a rooftop. Shane’s grief was compounded when Tom’s family banned him from the funeral and tried to erase all evidence of their happy life together.

Bridegroom was one of 151 films vying for the Best Documentary Feature Oscar this year but has not made the shortlist of 15 finalists from which the final five nominees will be selected.

Publicist Guido Gotz broke the news on Facebook and thanked Shane for “sharing your incredible story with me and thousands of people around the world. You have touched so many lives, and in some instances even saved them.”

“The movie has opened hearts and minds where thought impossible, and the fact that we’re not considered for an Oscar will not overshadow all the wonderful things that have taken place over the last few months,” he added.